| A | B |
|---|
| Capital Crime | A murder that can be punishable by a sentence of death |
| Capital Offenses | Offenses for which the penalty can be a death sentence. Examples of capital offenses include, but are not limited to, contract murder, murder of a law enforcement officer, murder by a prisoner, multiple killings, murder arising from a drug crime, and killing a child younger than twelve years of age. |
| Case Law | The principles and rules of law that courts establish when they interpret laws. |
| Child in Need of Supervision | A child who is habitually absent from school or who abandons his or her family or guardian in a manner that requires intervention by the court to protect the child’s welfare |
| Child in Need of Services | A child whose behavior, conduct, or condition poses a risk of harm to himself or herself or to another person. |
| Circuit Court | A trial court that has exclusive jurisdiction in all civil matters greater than $15,000 and all felony prosecutions in criminal matters |
| Civil Law | Laws that define the rights and duties of one individual to another |
| Civil Case | A lawsuit involving enforcement of private rights, such as fraud or defamation, as opposed to a criminal case that is brought by the government to punish a wrong against society. |
| Clerk of Court | The person responsible for keeping a court’s official records. Clerks of court for Circuit Courts are elected by the voters of their city or county. |
| Code of Virginia | The official record of laws enacted by the Virginia General Assembly and signed by the Governor. These laws apply to all persons in the Commonwealth of Virginia. |
| Common Law | The system of laws, originated and developed in England, based on court decisions rather than codified written laws. The rule that you are “presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt” is an example of common law. |
| Commonwealth’s Attorney | An attorney who represents the Commonwealth of Virginia in criminal cases by presenting evidence to prove that a defendant is guilty. In Virginia, Commonwealth’s Attorneys are elected by the voters in the city or county. |
| Constitutional law | Laws that originate in the United States Constitution and the Constitution of Virginia. Constitutions establish the structure of our federal and state governments and set forth the rights of the governed |
| Convict | To find a person guilty of a criminal charge |
| Contract | An agreement with specific terms between two or more persons or entities in which there is a promise to do something in return for a valuable benefit known as “consideration.” |
| Controlled Substances | Substances to which the government restricts access because of the substances’ potential for harm or abuse |
| Copyright Act (U.S.): | A federal law that protects the music and other industries against the illegal downloading and sharing of music, movies, or other media without consent. |
| Counterfeiting | The altering, copying, or imitation of something, without authority or right, with the intent to deceive or defraud by passing the copy or thing altered or imitated as that which is original or genuine; the selling, buying, or possession of an altered, copied, or imitated thing with the intent to deceive or defraud. |
| Courts | Part of the judicial branch of government and responsible for interpreting laws when a law is broken or there is a dispute |
| Crime | An act that violates a law either by doing something the law says you are not to do or by not doing something the law says you have to do |
| Crimes Against Persons | Offenses that involve direct physical harm or force being applied to another person |
| Crimes Against Property | Offensesthat involve property, including crimes in which property is destroyed and crimes in which property is stolen or taken against the owner’s will. |
| Criminal Law | Laws that define behavior that is considered to be illegal, such as stealing, and the punishments that can be imposed. Criminal law provides a set of rules for peaceful, safe, and orderly living |
| Criminal Case | A case in which the government is prosecuting a defendant accused of committing a criminal act |
| Curfew | A law, usually a local ordinance, restricted the time when a young person is no longer allowed to be out on the street without lawful business |
| Custody | The care and control of a thing or person |
| Custody Case | In Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court or Circuit Court, the type of proceedings in which the court determines which parent, other adult, or agency shall have physical control over a child |
| Cyberbullying | The use of technology (e-mail, instant messaging, web sites, cell phones, etc.) to harass or annoy another person. Cyberbullying is a form of harassing communication and is a Class C misdemeanor |
